NEWS FLASH: The Mets were unexpectedly thrown off course when Edwin Díaz chose the Dodgers, igniting major offseason fallout. DD
The Mets were in shock that Edwin Diaz left without giving them a chance to match his offer with the Dodgers.
ORLANDO – MLB winter meetings did not go as planned for the New York Mets after losing two franchise cornerstones in Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso.
While the Mets did not make an offer to Alonso, who signed with the Baltimore Orioles for five-years, $155 million, they missed out on Diaz by just $3 million.
The Mets made a three-year, $66 million offer with deferrals to Diaz, who instead took a three-year, $69 million deal with deferrals ($13.5 million) with the back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
According to sources, the Mets were shocked that Diaz didn’t give them a chance to match or exceed his deal before agreeing to a contract with the Dodgers.
The Dodgers are notorious for driving the price up when they aren’t truly interested in a player.
But the Mets called their bluff and the Dodgers turned over a Royal Flush.
Now, the best closer in baseball has joined the best team in baseball and one the Mets compete with in the National League.
ESPN reported that Diaz was upset that the Mets didn’t give him a heads up when they signed free agent reliever Devin Williams to a three-year, $51 million deal.
Williams has now been named the Mets’ closer given the departure of Diaz.
Per The New York Post, Diaz also wasn’t thrilled with the Mets’ decision to get rid of pitching coach Jeremy Hefner following the season.
The Mets will roll with Williams as their closer and could still sign Robert Suarez who they’re interested in.
New York wanted Diaz back and were willing to go higher with their offer, but they never got the chance which left them mystified.
With Diaz gone, there will no longer be trumpets played at Citi Field and the blasting of “Narco,” which was the closer’s signature entrance in the ninth inning.
Diaz opted out of the remaining two-years, $38 million of the five-year, $102 million contract he signed with the Mets back in the 2022-2023 offseason.
Diaz, who will turn 32 in March, posted an elite 1.63 ERA and 98 strikeouts while converting 28 of 31 saves last season.
